


New Jersey At Night

by HerGambitandSwanSong



Category: Hamilton - Miranda
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst and Humor, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fairy Tale Curses, Folklore, Gen, Henry Laurens' A+ Parenting, I think?, M/M, Shapeshifting, Slice of Life, Supernatural Elements, Tag As I Go, Transformation, Witch Curses
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-04-02
Packaged: 2019-03-26 07:19:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 7,506
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13852803
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HerGambitandSwanSong/pseuds/HerGambitandSwanSong
Summary: Sitting alone in the back of one of his lectures is a mystery. A young man that Alex can't help but constantly wonder about."Adversity makes men, and prosperity makes monsters." -Victor HugoON HIATUS





	1. Alexander’s Prelude

**Author's Note:**

> So I read an ungodly amount of folklore and myths from any culture instead of working on my crunch assignments. But who cares about keeping uni scholarships anyways? AMIRITE  
> I have a bad obsession with torturing John, maybe bc I love him? Eh 
> 
> Let's start quick and small

There's a guy.

A hoodie obsessed, curly haired, enigma of a person that sits in his History of American Law lecture at the far back, pressed against the wall.

He doesn't always go to the weekly classes, sometimes he's missing in action for weeks on end. But when he does come, he talks to no one and covers every bit of flesh like a helicopter parent dressing their toddler for a blizzard.  

While Alex never really did care for people's behaviour- _he wasn't going into psychology after all,_ the guy still found a way to peak his curiosity. Maybe it was the mass of curls that could not be contained within the confides of the hoodie, or the rare glimpses of apple green eyes when he didn't cover them up with dark shades.

All Alex knew for sure was that, in a room of a little over three hundred people, he found himself staring at the guy in wonder every time.

 

* * *

 

 

"Do you guys have a guy in any of your lectures that covers up completely?" Alex asked one day after the prodding thought of the strange hoodie fellow became unbearable to contain, bugging him to no end.

Lafayette manages to pry his eyes away from the old lady on the screen cooking a pumpkin cheesecake to look at his friend in confusion. In awe of the cheesecake, Hercules’ attention stays loyal to the television in a hopeless trance of product consumption.

"Not that I know of," The Frenchman frowns. "Pourquoi?"

Alex jotted down a quick thought on a paper before tapping the side of his head with a pencil. "No reason, there's just a guy in my law class that's like that."

A smug smirk crept onto Lafayette's face, sending a shiver up his back in response. "That sounds like a reason," Lafayette mused, eyes narrowing mischievously.

"Shut up." Alex complained, tossing the pencil at his conniving friend. Lafayette evaded with ease, his smirk only growing stronger with satisfaction.

"You have a lion's spirit in you."

"And you have a raccoon's. Always getting into other people's shit."

"I do try." He said proudly. Getting up from the comfy pillow that was Herc's side, he sauntered over to Alex, peering over the workaholic's shoulder.

"What are you doing?"

"Essay on the Brown v. Board of Education." Alex muttered sidelong.

"Sounds boring." He waved dismissively, ignoring the scowl sent his way. "I would love to know more about this man you admire."

He slumped himself into a chair beside Alex, propping his chin up with his palms and battered his lashes.

Alex rolled his eyes, swatting frivolously at his friend. "I don't admire him, I don't even know the guy. I was just curious about him. It's obviously not a religious requirement for him to cover up because he won't wear gloves or shades sometimes."

"So?" Lafayette hummed. Alex looks to his roommate, face scrunching up dumbfounded.

"So, what?"

"So why do you think that is?"

"I don't know!" He complained loudly, throwing up his hands in frustration. "That's why I'm asking you!"

Laf shook his head, uttering a faint - _tsk_ -. "Mon ami, you're doing this all wrong. Just ask him yourself."

"Easier said then done." Alex grumbled. "He sometimes misses weeks of lectures and seminars and sits in the far back; not the most welcoming, don't you think?"

"You sit in the back." Hercules commented from the couch absently.

"Because people in the front talk to much."

"There you go! You two are like..." Lafayette paused for a moment, trying to think of the idiom. "…Like two peas in a pod!"

Alex had the urge to stab him with his pencil, but he had already thrown it across the apartment minutes before.

Before either can say anything, Hercules turned to look at them, peering up from the confines of the couch and the television, "If Paula Deen has taught me anything, sometimes doing something new is as easy as cracking an egg."

The Frenchman and law student traded questioning looks before the latter threw up their hands, groaning in irritation.

The oven containing the pumpkin cheesecake on the screen dings in completion, signalling for the next stage of cooking; the eating.

Ready to start


	2. John's Prelude

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I said every Friday but my procrastination went wild today and instead of writing a research paper on "Convo-based intervention of MSD's linguistic skills" I did this.  
> But for now officially, it's Friday

Despite Alex wanting to deny it, he took his roommates' advice the next time he was in class and saw the hooded enigma. Most, if not everyone had found a seat, chatting loudly amongst their peers, waiting for the professor to start. Alex had scanned the large room as discreetly as possible, looking for the hooded guy. To his excitement, he found his target sitting in a common spot in the back. Nobody sat near the guy for a couple of rows, leaving an abundance of space to claim as one’s own.

Nonetheless, Alex journeyed into the guy's row, taking a seat only two chairs away from the him. He could feel the unnerving eyes of the hoodie guy on him, probably trying to figure out why a random stranger was sitting so close, despite many other seats being open.

Alex glanced at the guy for a split second, hoping to get a better view of him. At that moment, the young man looked away quickly, hiking his shoulders up and pressing further into the oversized hoodie. Adding to his internal notepad, Alex noted that he wasn’t wearing shades.

With the mental encouragement that sounded oddly like his roommates, he took a deep breath, turning to the guy.

"Hey," Alex spoke up, leaning unconsciously closer to the enigmatic. The guy met his eyes after much hesitation, jumpy and filled with uncertainty. To Alex’s surprise, the man’s eyes are just as he pictured them. A subtle green similar to that of freshly growing pines, mixed with simple highlights of chestnut. He almost forgot what to say, too encapsulated by the man’s eyes. "Do you have an extra pencil?"

He had one in his pocket, but that didn’t matter. He needed a solid excuse to get at least a yes or no from the guy.

The guy looked uncomfortable, shifting under the eagle-like stare of Alex. Reluctantly he pulled out a pencil, offering it silently to Alex with gloved hands.

If there was disappointment, Alex doesn't show it. He takes the pencil, shooting a cheery smile. "Thanks, I'm Alex by the way, Alexander Hamilton."

The curly haired guy only stared at him, face blank of any acknowledging emotion. He didn’t respond back, just remained unnervingly silent.

Working through the choke of awkwardness, Alex smiled tersely. "I don't think we've met before, what's your name?" He hated restoring to petty prodding, but he couldn’t help but feel a little desperate. He can't lose his shot; the guy might not be in lecture for another month with his luck.

"John." Smooth with the faint hint of a southern accent.

"And your last nam-"

He's cut off by the prof getting on the stage and silencing the room with the beginning of the lecture. _'John'_ seemed to use that as an excuse, turning away and ending the hopelessly awkward conversation.

Alex slumped in his seat in, reluctantly jotting notes. He had gotten somewhere, now knowing part of the guy's name. That had to be a success.

Throughout the lecture he glanced at John. The guy was huddled in on himself, jotting similar notes down with worn leather-bound gloves. Why gloves? It wasn't cold enough to start wearing them, a person could still work up a sweat walking home in them. As it progressed, Alex noticed John shifting more in discomfort, but not because of Alex himself, more so like an itch he couldn't get too.

After two and a half hours, with quick breaks they both refused to move at, the lecture ended, and people began to pack their laptops and notebooks up. John made no move until most of the students had left the lecture hall, before getting up, head down low, and attempting to make his way around Alexander's legs.

His chance arose, and he kicked up his feet, purposefully rising slowly and blocking John from leaving in a rush. He shot an innocent smile at the guy, making John wait.

"It was nice to meet you." Alex said shrewdly, extending a hand out to the guy. John stared with uneasiness, avoiding the piercing gaze of Alex all together.

Gingerly, he took his hand shaking it.

Alex made the odd point in squeezing John’s hand, trying to feel through the leather somehow. He only managed to make out protruding hard bumps along John's hand and the sharp poke of his fingernails against the skin through the glove before John wiggled out of the vice grip, shoving his hand quickly into his pocket. Looking somewhat panicked and ready to push past Alex and his blockage, Alex graciously moved out of his way, letting the poor man through.

Eyes following the back of John's head as he hurriedly out the room, Alex concluded that John kind of looked like a hobo.

 

* * *

 

 

"I think he's been badly burned."

Eliza tilted her head, stray hairs poking through her hairnet. "Oh no, who has?" She asked worriedly from the cash register.

As the customer, Alex tried to lean over the register as much as possible to inform a currently working Lafayette of his theory. Both Lafayette and Eliza worked at the same cafe, coincidentally as well, working the same day. While Eliza was on cash, Lafayette was her runner, making beverages at a mediocre pace.

The Frenchman's peered over Eliza's shoulder at Alex. "It's a mysterious man Alexander has been chasing." He informed, making it sound like a bad soap-opera.

Eliza's lips form an O and she can't help but smile. Alex flared up in embarrassment, the two had dated years before when they were both unsure about their sexuality, too caught up on believing in a hetro-normative life. Once they figured out that wasn't the case, they broke things off mutually, remaining still friends.

Granted, Alex had to admit it was always a little difficult mentioning his romance life with her around.

The snap of Laf's fingers brought him back to reality instantly as his roommate raised an eyebrow. "Earth to Alexander. Why do you think he was burned?"

"I shook his hand and underneath the glove felt bumpy."

Eliza and Lafayette trade thoughtful looks. They could make a great Sherlock and John duo if they ever quit their day job.  
"Burns usually don't cause bumps, just thinner layers and discoloration." Eliza supplied.

"And you mentioned he sometimes doesn't wear gloves. Wouldn't you have seen the burns before?"

With that Alex deflated instantly, having not thought about any of those plausible points previously; his only lead jumping out the window to fly to Neverland.

"Great,” Alex groaned, “Now I have nothing to go off. Thanks guys."

"You don't want to follow a false lead, it won't get you very far, even if its the only one available at the time." Eliza explains softly. Laf handed him his Condolence Coffee, motioning for him to pitifully step to the side to let another customer order.

For the rest of their shift, Alex sat at a window studying and moping. He couldn’t help but glance out the window, hoping to catch a view of John. It never happened obviously. John seemed like the guy that locked himself in his room for the rest of the day afterwards.

Only when the sun has set, and the cafe was closing, did Lafayette and Eliza meet him at the table.

"Aw Alex, cheer up, you'll figure it out." Eliza said, patting his hand lovingly. She smelt like java beans and pastries, a wonderful smell to some. "Find something you two have in common, that always helps."

"Doubt it." He grumbled.

But that’s exactly what he did.

The next week for the same lecture, Alex sat once again two seats away from John, ambition high and ready to strike up another conversation.

This time John wore a baseball cap under the hoodie, leaving the shades and gloves out. He couldn’t complain about that, finally being able to see a little more of John then last time was a miracle at best.

The only issue that rattled his brain was the long and wooden… crutches, resting against the seat beside John.

Alex could barely contain the twitch in his eye from the frustrating confusion.

Why did he have crutches now? He didn't have them last week?

As the lecture went on and the prof continued to talk nonsense, his frustration only grew.

"Not true," He muttered distastefully at a comment the professor made.

"Generalization." He added, sometime after. Slumping back into his chair fuming, Alexander crossed his arms mumbling to himself.

So, caught up in anger, he didn't realize John staring at him.

"You don't like the prof, do you?" The quiet southern voice asked. Alex's frown fell, brows rising in mild surprise.

He turned, "No... I don't," he mumbled slowly in disbelief. He hadn’t tried to strike up a conversation with John yet, wanting to try during their first break, which meant that this was John’s own doing. He wanted to talk to Alex. "His lectures are sloppy and generalized."

"And repetitive." John added quietly. Alex opened his mouth to speak, but just as he did, John turned away, back to the professor.

It wasn't much, probably considered nothing in most conversation standards, but it was enough to spark some ounce of hope in Alex.

As their lecture came to a close and students piled out, Alex glanced at the crutches curious.

"What's with the crutches?" He asked.

A brief flash of panic in John's eyes at the question peaks his curiosity, quickly disappearing behind a wall of secrecy.  
"I sprained my ankle." John replied lamely.

Bullshit, he can see through that lie.

But sometimes it’s better to play the game then confront the magician.

Alex looked the crutches up and down, then to John's ankle. "That bad?"

"Yeah..."

The conversation goes flat, and as they leave the lecture hall and go their respected ways, Alex can’t help but look over his shoulder at the receding figure of John. It’s obvious that John was never a drama student when he was younger, cause if he was, he’d be better at acting like he needed the crutches. To most it was passable, but to Alex?

He narrowed his eyes, gaze sharp and critical.

Alex doesn't believe it for a second.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I found this hella dialogue heavy and also really poorly split in terms of days/setting and conversations between the dudes, so forgive me.


	3. Distasteful Personality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So to clarify:  
> Alexander: 2nd year Law/20  
> John: 2nd year Law/20  
> Lafayette: 3rd year Interior Design/22- Part-Time: Cafe  
> Hercules: 3rd year Fashion/23- Part-Time: Co-op/Intern  
> Eliza: 2nd year Social Work/20- Part-Time: Cafe  
> Peggy: 1st year Computer Science/19- Part-Time: Co-op  
> Angelica: 3rd Year Law/22- Part-Time: Library

Alex took a seat on the high stool beside his friends, motioning the bartender over and ordering a drink. As the bartender prepped his drink, Alex turned to his friends, waiting expectantly for him to start talking. 

"Mafia." Alex started deadpanned and serious, "I think he's in the mafia."

Hercules traded an exasperated look with Lafayette, sharing similar reactions. "Are we still talking about this?" He questioned tiredly.

"It appears so." The Frenchman nodded.

His friends were hard to bore, but easily could grow tired of Alex’s nonstop, somewhat crazy imagination. They took every outlandish thing he's ever said with a grain of salt, going along or shrugging it off as another product of sleep deprivation. 

Alex splayed out his palms aggressively against the wooden surface, leaning forward, "Guys there's something up with him, something not natural! I just can't seem to figure out what, and it's driving me crazy."

"So, the mafia is not natural?"

"I'm sorry," Alex snarked sarcastically. "But do you see any guys causally carrying machine guns around?"

"Well..."

In a brilliant display of misfortune, the bartender appeared with a pint of beer, staring with hard eyes at Alex. A gaze of threat, warning him stop talking about machine guns and the mafia, before he would get thrown out. With an apologetic smile and nod, Alex shut his mouth. Satisfied but still suspicious, the bartender left, off to deal with another customer.

Relaxing, Alex sighed.

"I think you're overthinking this. John could just be a troubled kid." Hercules shrugged. "There's nothing unnatural about that, hell Hew York is filled with them."

Lafayette shot a similar look at him. "Mon ami, you met him only a few weeks ago, everyone seems strange at first- take Hercules for example." He gestured to his partner causally.

Hercules glared, narrowing his eyes at Lafayette's nonchalant insult. "Excuse me?"

"A wonderful strange." Lafayette corrected. 

"Damn right." 

"Guys." Alex complained. They were getting off track, away from the actual topic of discussion.

Hercules put his cup down, propping his elbows on the table and giving Alex an oddly parental gaze. "The best thing you can do is get to know him first. Your mindset on him might change, but you have to be open about it." He explained.

"That or get Peggy to snoop around." Laf suggested mildly. Hercules shot him a disapproving look, which the Frenchman only retaliated back with a long and loud sip of his beer. Egging Alex on or providing him with ideas surely to cause trouble was a big no-no between Hercules and Lafayette. Alex had a tendency to jump head first into a situation and stir up problems, and it was their job to prevent him from doing exactly that. At times however, the pair- mainly Lafayette would break from their parental role and egg Alex on for his own amusement. 

The idea may sound strange, and Herc would certainly disapprove, but it could work. Peggy did have a knack for finding information on people; she was their own personal unpaid private investigator at times. Able to know more about Eliza's dates then Eliza knew herself.

Too caught up in planning and figuring out how much he needed to bribe Peggy, Alexander failed to notice the appearance of Charles Lee. An older student that one could often hear talking about manifestos with unnecessarily big words and a knack for adding ‘beauty’ into every sentence somehow. He was smart, Alex would give him that. But he stood for everything wrong in the world and wore it proudly. 

Alexander hated him.

And he hated Alex.

His recent outbursts and overall narrow-mindedness had struck Alex in the core, fueling the flame that was already uncontrollable. He had been going on about how George Washington, a rather popular and respected man in New York was incompetent in his duties for the city primarily because of his heritage and beliefs.

The same man that had funded and housed Alex's arrival into America.

"Ah Hamilton," Lee drawled distastefully noticing him. The man was finely dressed in probably the most high-end attire possible, formal wear that made him stick out at a bar. Alex couldn't help but grip his cup tighter, praying that he could contain the urge to throw it at Lee. Laf and Herc traded concerns, before shooting glares of spite at Lee.

With a held breath, Alex turned around, narrowing his eyes and scowling, "Lee, what do you want now?"

"Nothing, I was just wandering the bar and couldn’t help but see you and wonder: how can you afford to go to a bar." He hummed, eyes darkening with devilish intent in rile Alex up. "Say, do all illegal immigrants cheat the system and leeched off our money to sit around and drink? Or is it just you and your gang of misfits?"

He sees blood red and before Alex can launch himself of the stool and tackle Lee, Lafayette grabbed the back of his collar, pulling him back like a feisty lion cub.

"Lee," Hercules stated deadpanned, shooting a dead glare at the man. "Piss off will you."

Lee put his hands up, "Just exercising my freedom of speech." He quipped innocently. Throw in some batting eyelashes and he was full ex-Disney star gone wrong. "But Hamilton would know that being the protege lawyer he is, wouldn't he?"

Alex bristled, and he can't help but raise his voice, "I'll shove your privileged freedom so far up your ass you'll be exercising your right to the hosp-"

"-Alexander!" Lafayette cut him off abruptly before he could finish, defusing the threat.

Herc put his hands up calmly, glancing at the bartender only a few feet away. "Look, we'll pay for our drinks and leave. No need to cause a show."

To prove his statement, he pulled out his wallet and took some bills, putting it under his empty glass. Lee only shot a malicious smirk, smug with his corrupted belief of superiority at Alex. The rest of the trio followed suit, the latter more begrudgingly then the rest and they left the bar, entering the sharp fall air.

"Asshole," Alex muttered once outside, shoving his hands into his coat pocket and kicking a lamppost. "He can kiss my ass."

"Nobody can be worse then him." Lafayette agreed sullenly.

He was cynical and made the personal political. Stuck in some twisted and outdated belief of superiority in a city of its own diversity. It was unbelievable that people like Lee could still function in society without being shunned for his narrowness and xenophobic nature. 

Yet, wouldn’t that make people like John worth the effort? Despite all frustration, hair-pulling and one sided conversations, John at least wasn't making obscene comments; he was just quiet. Of all the personalities that were the worst, being reserved definitely wasn't one of them. Alex would prefer the quietness of John over Lee’s ignorance and stupidity any day.

John could change, open up. Lee was a hopeless cause that Alex wouldn't even touch with a ten foot pole. 

John would be worth the frustration and hair-pulling; he would open up and make his life worth wild- with Alexander at his side.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're wondering why Angelica is part-time at a library, it's bc she would be the scariest librarian to fuck with (Also when ur in uni, books are libraries are a key necessarily in living. You'll spend most of your uni-life in it).  
> Alex had a job but he got fired for completely destroying a complaining customer so Washington funds  
> John, don't really have to explain, he's a hermit


	4. Dish Best Served Garlic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry this is short ;-;

The luck on Alex's part seemed to run dry right after that night. The next class he has, John isn't there. An empty seat two steps away from Alex, mocking him silently. He found himself getting bored of the lecture early on without John there. John had made the lecture bearable to say the least, a puzzle that made Alex think, not like his professor’s mindless rambling. Similar to the subjective reason why someone gets up in the morning, John was his motivator. So instead, taking the advice of Lafayette, he enlisted Peggy over text to help with his puzzle.

A.Ham:  
Need your help ASAP

BreakAPeg:  
Wats in it for me?

A.Ham:  
Bragging rights and a stamped free coffee card for McDonald's

BreakAPeg:  
Weak

A.Ham:  
A week of free rides in Herc's car

BreakAPeg:  
Trading ur friends I see. Deal. Wat do u need?

A.Ham:  
Need anything u can get on a guy named John. He wears lots of layers

BreakAPeggy:  
Srsly? He got a last name at least?

A.Ham:  
Idk

BreakAPeg:  
Boi u gotta give me something to work with. John is a bland ass name and lots of people cover up in NYC. Be realistic 

A.Ham:  
Will a pic help?

BreakAPeg:  
Hell ye

A.Ham:  
Give me a couple of days to get one

A couple days turned into a few more days, and then into a week. John didn’t show up to any shared lectures or seminars, only adding to Alex's frustration and worry. Maybe he was apart of the mafia and had to hide from the cops, forced into hiding until the NYPD had to call off the case due to dry leads?

During a random evening at half past nine, Alex went on a quick grocery run for pasta ingredients for the next day.

The sun had pretty much set and the moon was making its journey routinely in the sky, illuminating the streets with distorted shadows as Alex headed into the local grocery store. Few and far between were customers wandering the empty aisles. Alex leisurely counted a little more than a half a dozen people milling throughout the store.

Wandering into the pasta aisle, Alex looked through the different pastas types he could boil. Lafayette was picky when it came to cooking with them, he only ever ate the pasta that he deemed to made him feel sophisticated. However, Alex found much pleasure in buying the most common pasta known to man: penne.  

Staring at the shelves of boxed pasta blankly, his attention trailed off. In his peripheral vision, a hooded figure stood not to far away from him, staring in a similar fashion to Alex at shelves of pasta sauce.

The familiar figure looked to be minding his own business, looking at the variety of sauces, curls peeking through the open end of the hoodie. At the familiar sight of bouncy curls and a hobo-like fashion sense, Alexander knew instantly who it was.

Grabbing his phone and discreetly taking a picture, he pocketed it hurriedly. Like a man on a mission, he grabbed a box of penne pasta, making his way towards John and the sauces.

"If you need a good sauce then Alfredo is the best, I use it for everything." He stated out loud, surprising John. The young man jumped in surprise, instantly taking a step back as he turned to Alex.

Wearing tinted shades that masked his eyes completely, they came as a sharp contrast to his unusually fairer hue of skin. Almost as if he had avoided sunlight for days on end, draining his skin of any sun-kissed warmth. While his appearance seemed sickly, it's the lack of crutches that set Alex off.

"Your sprain must have healed quickly, huh?" He pointed out, nodding at John's perfectly stable, somewhat stiff stance. Mutely, the young man only glanced at his own feet with a nod. It was like he had completely forgotten about the crutches he used a week ago.  

"You've missed a couple of lectures. I can send them to you if you want, I just need your email."

John shook his head wordlessly, and Alex pulled a face, set with a puzzled frown.

"Are you sick? Why can't you talk?"

Simply pointing to his throat, John shrugged. _Sick then._ He took a jar of Alfredo, shooting a strained closed smile at Alex. Taking a couple more steps back, John warily eyed Alex nervously, before he hurried away like a man on a mission- or a man fleeing a crime scene.

Left dumbfounded, Alex could only blink in confusion. The conversation- not only incredibly one sided but also super short was possibly the weirdest thing he had ever encountered. But he finally had a photo to send Peggy. Something she could start her 'investigation' on.

Alex pulled out his phone to view the picture and send it to Peggy, opening up his photos and clicking on the picture to examine closer.  

His frown grew, and he didn’t know whether to feel confused or upset about what he saw. The photo was apparently obsolete now; John wasn't even in the picture. A clear shot of the entire aisle, lined with products galore, yet John was nowhere to be seen in it. His figure had vanished completely from the photo, despite having been the focal point of the shot.

Glancing at the garlic resting on a nearby shelf, Alex thought back to the vampire movie they had been watching earlier that day. The pale skin, the fangs and red eyes that were too noticeable not to hide, the inability to appear in pictures or reflections, all common and incredibly insane features vampires possessed. John looked sick, he hadn’t spoken a single word, let alone opened his mouth, and he wore thick tinted shades that covered a good portion of his face.

Incredibly insane.

But his eyes stay glued to the garlic, in some paranoia trance.

He doesn’t so much as hesitation as he grabbed a bundle of them.

Garlic goes great with spaghetti and vampires.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Little more info on John. Still probably confusing as hell


	5. Take a Shot

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow I'm really not good at keeping to a set date. I'm sorry, I've been sick none stop, it's Easter and I'm on my last week of crunching before exams. Soon my stress will all be over  
> Anyways, here you go

"So, Alex," Peggy hummed, resting her chin on her palm. Her feet swayed back and forth as she laid on his bed like a character in a corny teenage tv drama. “Did you get a picture yet?"

Eliza looked up from her phone interested, sitting across the room in Alex's computer chair, curled tightly in on herself. She unravels, using her feet to pull herself and the chair closer to Peggy and Alex. "Oh, is this the boy you were talking about at work? I wanna see him too." She added, eyes bright with excitement.

With the stares of two out of the three Schuyler sisters, Alex felt the pressure rise exceptionally. He crossed his arms, looking away from them, unable to meet their gaze.

"I didn't get it." He muttered sourly.

The youngest sister groaned, shoving her face into his pillow. "Aw come on Ham, I have nothing to work with!"

"Hey!" Alex protested, turning away from his research assignment. "I tried! I took a picture of him, but when I looked at it, he wasn't in the photo anymore."

He took out his phone, unlocking it and pulling up the picture. Presenting it in front of the two girls, they leaned in to see.  

"That's strange." Eliza noted, biting the digit of his index finger and furrowing her brows. "Maybe the camera took the picture later then you expected?"

"Or maybe, he's a vampire." Peggy teased, squinting her eyes at Alex and puffing her cheeks out. She placed her index fingers against the corners of her lips, pointing them down to replicate fangs. "You _loooove_ a vampire."

The blood rose to his face, and Alex found himself unable to stop blushing. "I do not love him!” He complained, yanking the pillow Peggy had used seconds ago and hitting her with it. “I don't even know the guy all that well."

Peggy ignored his rebuttal, turning her tease into a mini song. "Ham has a crush, Ham has a crush~"

"Shut up!"

"Never," She hissed.

"Are you going to try and talk to him more tomorrow?" Eliza asked, ignoring her younger sister.

Alex pushed away the constant annoyance that was Peggy, and he looked to his ex. "I'm going to try, but he might not be there again. Maybe I'm scaring him off?"

Eliza smiled warmly. "Never hurts to try. But seriously, don’t tell Angelica you enlisted her younger sister to stalk someone, she might kill you."

Noting the brief comment that he wasn’t quite sure was a threat or not, Alex chose to take Eliza’s advice in trying. Did packing garlic in his bag to figure out if vampires were real and if one sat beside him in law, based solely on the evidence of pasta and suspicion constitute as going too far?

Causally telling his friends that he was going to try and figure out if John was a vampire would only send them into a frenzy; believing that Alex's all-nights and caffeine induced states finally got to his poor brain, they would try to hold some intervention like last time.

So, he doesn’t mention it. Not to Eliza and Peggy, not to Laf and Herc or Angelica for that matter.

He shut his mouth, going radio silent about John.

 

* * *

 

 

Walking down the steps, Alex felt the tension and adrenaline run through his body. He could see John sitting in his usual place, alone and protected by his ungodly layers of clothing. Taking a seat once again two away from him, Alex slid his bag closer to John, the garlic bundle sitting discreetly in the front pocket, unseen.

He waited in anticipation, eyes creeping over to John ever so often to see if he would react. Would John burst into flames? Melt? Start to hiss and turn into a bat? What was there to expect?

He waited and waited, expectation slowly deflating as minutes of no reaction went by.

Honestly, Alex didn’t know whether to feel disappointed or relieved. Happy that John wasn't a vampire or upset that he wasn't one?

Before he can think up a conclusion, John looked to Alex. He was wearing coloured green contacts, another odd fashion choice considering his eyes were green from the start. The gloves were off as well, only a thicker and long sweater and baseball cap being the new replacement and coverup.

"Do you smell garlic?" John asked quietly. It may as well have been the first time John has ever spoken to him willingly.

A realization bubbled in Alex, and he forced himself to suppress the smile.

John spoke to him and he wasn’t a vampire. This was progress, another step towards John opening up, as well as not being killed by a vampire.

The fizz of excitement grew in Alex's gut, and he found it difficult to not answer like an babbling idiot.

"Y-yeah it does!” He exclaimed a little louder then usual. John doesn’t seem to enjoy the volume increase, as he shifts back as though he has been struck.  “Odd, huh? Ah... garlic... So weird."

If Lafayette was sitting beside him right now, he would have probably received a slap to the face and a - _tsk_ \- in disappointment.

Slowly, John recovered from shying away, blinking at Alex blankly, and nodding his head awkwardly. He looked back to the professor and Alex cursed under his breath. He was going to lose John’s attention again to that pointless professor.

"Hey," He spoke up, channeling the wise words of Eliza to boast his confidence. "Do you want to maybe grab a coffee sometime? We can plan a day to go?"

John looked back at Alex and shifted in his seat uneasy. He took the cuff of his long sweater, unconsciously playing with the loose strands of string anxiously. "I... Uh, I'm not really good with sticking to schedules. My life is a little dysfunctional."

The reject hit Alex hard, but he kept up his facade of confidence and waved it off dismissively. "That's alright, why not try today then. Are you busy after this?"

"No," John admitted.

Alex brightened, beaming with excitement. "Great, we can go after this lecture."

"I don't work well with people." John explained tentatively.

"Neither do I.” Alex supplied helpfully. “I was kicked off the debate team for a reason."

"I didn't mean like that."

"Yeah and I didn’t mean to throw a chair at Jefferson.” He shrugged helplessly, sliding his phone and notebook out. “Turns out you surprise yourself everyday.”

John could only stare in mild astonishment at Alex’s open, carefree attitude. He nodded slowly, shoulders relaxing ever so slightly.

The short conversation died after that, once again left with nothing else to do but listen to the professor. As the lecture continued, Alex took his phone and began to text Peggy.

A.Ham:  
Peg u busy in 2 hrs?

BreakAPeg:   
Got class y?

A.Ham:  
Skip it and head to Revo Cafe. John will be there. I need u to recon

BreakAPeg:  
Creepy but I'm in.

A.Ham: 

Txt u when there

After the lecture was over and students piled out the room, Alex got up, waiting for his partner to join him. John packed up his notebooks and pens meticulously, taking his sweet time. As he packed, his eyes skipped from the main exit to the emergency one, surveying them carefully. It almost felt like to Alex, that he was watching the doors in case someone came in. An odd thing to worry about, but John could just be a naturally paranoid person.

Alex cleared his throat, grabbing John’s attention. “You ready to head out?” John nodded. “Cool, there’s a coffee shop three blocks down that I always go to. A couple of my friends actually work there.”

“Are they working now?” John asked as they started to leave. He looked a little nervous at the thought that there might be more people to associate with.

Alex shook his head, opening the door for John. “Thankfully no, today’s their day off.”

He wasn’t going to mention Peggy and her miniature recon mission he had enlisted her in, making sure to remind himself not to talk to Peggy while there. Alex had a hard-enough time getting John to not run away, let alone start introducing him to more people. He had to start with baby steps, getting John comfortable around him and slowly making his way up to immersing John into his friend group. That was to say, if John wanted to meet his friends in the first place.  

They walked out the building and onto the busy streets of New York, quickening their pace to match the flow of traffic. John followed his lead, trailing a foot behind and weaving through the crowds of people carefully. It was subtle, but Alex could notice how John instantly became guarded and stiff whenever a stranger would bump into him, as though the contact terrified him to no end.  

His coat jacket pocket buzzed, signalling Peggy had made it to Revo Café and was currently waiting for them to arrive. Alex figured it wouldn’t be long before they got there, the quaint café was only a street away now, buried in between a fabric store and a small Pilates center.

Once they arrived, Alex gestured for John to follow him, guiding him into the café and a seat close to the side of a familiar brightly clothed young lady typing on a laptop. He pretended not to notice Peggy, instead putting his bag beside his chair and gesturing to the coffee counter.

“You want anything to drink?” He asked taking out his wallet and sliding out a bill. “I got this.”

John shook his head, “It’s alright, I’ll order my own drink.”

He waved it off causally, playing it off like a simple insignificant act. “I got it, don’t worry, I really don’t mind. Its what friends are for.”

It was Lafayette’s money he had stolen from the kitchen counter earlier that morning, but he was sure Laf wouldn’t mind. Especially if it was for John. What threw him off was the perplexed and conflicted expression John had on his face at the comment. His partner’s face was knotted in confusion, unconsciously leaning towards Alex.

“We’re friends?” He questioned incredulity.

If that wasn’t a shot to Alex’s confidence, then he didn’t know what was. Nodding, Alex raised an eyebrow, nose scrunching up. “I don’t see why not?”  

“Don’t friends hang out and go to parties?”

“Yeah, I guess, if they were high-schoolers.”

Slowly, as if John had come to the realization of a thought unknown to Alex, his expression settled into one more resigned and distant. Whatever had crossed his mind had come as a sober reminder, throwing him back into reality. Alex would have loved to know what it was, but he didn’t want to pressure John just yet.

“Really, I don’t mind buying the drinks.” He explained tenderly. John only nodded mutely, taking a seat. “What do you want?”

“Coffee… black, please.”

Alex nodded in approval, “Simple, cool.”

He left John to crawl back into his thought, headed towards the counter to order and waited in a short line of two others. The phone in his pocket buzzed and he checked it.

 BreakAPeg:

Get hat off so I can see more of face

Alex looked up from his phone and glanced toward Peggy, noticing her tap her head to prompt the image of a hat impatiently. He shot her a look as if to say, _‘give me a second’_ , pointing towards the cashier. To which she exasperatedly rolled her eyes, going back to staring at her computer screen.

After a couple minutes, Alex got their orders and he set them down on their table, sitting down across from John. His friend fiddled with the cup awkwardly, eyes intently set on the black substances sloshing around.

It was rude to stare, but Alex couldn’t help but do so. The guy was just so incredibly awkward and unable to interact with people that he’d much rather stare at an inanimate object than a human being.

“So, John,” He started, interrupting John’s distract gaze. “You going to take off your hat?”

“No.”

“Alrighty.” He made sure to say loud and clear for Peggy to hear. “Well, how did you find the lecture? Bias as always?”  

John shrugged passively. “They’re alright.”

“I mean, don’t you think he’s a little too right-wing extreme? He tends to bash any past significant liberal acts or trials.” Alex pressed, taking a long sip of his drink afterwards. He watched John carefully, looking for any reaction or twitch about him. But the guy was a statue, expression guarded and emotionless, not a single ounce of opinion getting past him.  

 “You don’t talk a lot, do you?” Alex questioned, peering close to John and narrowing his eyes. John very slowly tilted away from Alex’s critical gaze, shifting in his seat in uneasiness. A small smirk made its way onto Alex’s face at the small reaction. So, the statue did have emotions.

Swimming in his own smug thought, Alex almost missed the shot back. “No, but you do.” John said rather bluntly, his own smile lighting up for a fraction of a second.

Alex covered up his surprise fairly well, waving the comment off like an teasing fly, “I know I talk a lot, but I figured that if I don’t, I’ll miss my shot at being heard.”

John looked down at his coffee, wrapping his fingers around the warm ceramic. “What would you do if you missed your shot?” He asked quietly.

“Find another one until I’m satisfied.” Alex had the feeling that John was asking from experience, having lost a shot at something before. His quiet partner took their coffee, bringing it to their lips as Alex watched closely.

“You haven’t lost your shot, John.” He commented honestly and then stupidly decided to take a shot in the dark. “Whatever going on in your life will pass.”

John sputtered at the assuming comment, barely keeping the hot coffee in his mouth. He doubled over, swallowing the scolding caffeine with a pained expression and a small cough.  

He pressed his sleeve to his chin anxiously, eyes skipping from Alex to the cups.  “I- uh…-“

“Hey, sorry too far.” Alex apologized swiftly, raising his hands in surrender. “That was me taking a wrong shot.”   
  
John’s chair backed up, and at that moment Alex knew that he had blown his chance sky-high. “I have to- um… go.” He stood up and Alex only could watch helplessly as everything he worked towards fell apart. John glanced at Alex quickly, face pink and breathless. “Thanks for the coffee.”

He collected his things in haste, shooting a weak smile in Alex’s direction as if to give Alex some credit and thanks for the outing, before he hurried out the small café.

The moment the door closed, and John was out of view, Alex groaned, planting his head on the table counter in defeat.

“Nice going Sherlock Holmes.” Peggy mused from suddenly close by, she slid into the previously occupied seat, putting her laptop on the table.

He crossed his arms around his head in shame. Not only had he scared John off, but he had knowingly invited a witness to his execution. “I don’t want to hear it, Peggy. Just tell me what you got.”

It appeared as though Peggy was feeling emphatic today, because she didn’t prod any further, only pulling her laptop closer and reading off the screen.

“Black coffee, so he’s either a minimalist or a broke student that can’t afford cream- trust me I’ve been there. He looked hella paranoid and didn’t really seem up to date on how socializing works so I’m guessing he’s a major shut-in- also easy to freak out.”

“I kind of figured all of that.” Alex pointed out with a groan.

“The guy watches what he says, always going Switz when it comes to picking sides, so I’m guessing high-end, important family maybe? Then again, he dresses like a dumpster-diving hobo, no offense. You’re right when you said he sounds southern too, its definitely there.” She pulled out her phone, waving the screen proudly in the air. “I took a picture of him when you guys came in, which I can easily cross-reference search the image and find any other pictures of him. That’s what I’m betting on.”

Peggy started to pack up, putting her laptop in a computer bag and slinging it over her shoulder. Alex furrowed, pulling himself off the table and straightening out.

“You’re leaving?” He questioned.

She nodded, getting up and shooting a bright smile. “Yeah, my work here is done, and Angelica is making spaghetti. Her pasta is on par with Herc’s, I can’t miss that.”

“We’ll talk later then?”

“Of course, Romeo.”

Reaching down and unzipping his bag, Alex pulled out a bag of garlic. Placing it on the table as if it was the most important thing in the world. “Well, in that case, take some garlic.”

Peggy stared dumbfounded at the garlic sitting in the center of the table. Her brow shot up and she glanced at Alex. “Should I ask?”

“I’d prefer if you didn’t.”

Nonetheless, Peggy grabbed the garlic offering, shoving it in her bag.  “Well thanks for this little mission, I can cross this off my bucket list now.

**Author's Note:**

> Working on 2 fics at once during crutch time. I totally screwed myself over
> 
> Every friday work?


End file.
